We all know of C.C.'s love of baseball but today she leaves the ball park for the hockey rink to give us a lovely Wednesday puzzle. Each theme answer ends with an item that is associated with this game on ice now played at the NHL level from Edmonton, Alberta to Miami, Florida. A big departure from the original six teams which I'm sure some here could name.
Her reveal is
37. Where to find the ends of 17-, 23-, 50- and 62-Across : ICE RINK - Perhaps the most famous ICE RINK to Americans is the one at Lake Placid in the 1980 Olympics semi-final game where the USA beat the Russians in the Miracle On Ice.
23. Public education leadership groups : SCHOOL BOARDS - Sometimes the BOARDS around the rink can't keep the players on the ice
50. Spago restaurateur : WOLFGANG PUCK - Here you can see that elusive PUCK being blocked first by the goalie's stick and then his glove and falling just short of the red goal line.
62. Breaded seafood option on kids' menus : FISH STICKS - If you want the oldest known hockey stick, it's yours for $4,000,000.
Husker Gary on the job as C.C. has given us her usual array of fun fill on this humpday edition. She again demonstrates her mastery of the form in that she can satisfy criteria for any day of the week and produce a very satisfying product. So, in the word's of M*A*S*H's Dr. Sydney Friedman,
Across
1. Opposite of bold : TIMID
6. Add a line to the wall chart : GROW
10. Rack holder : OVEN
14. Modify : AMEND
15. Mysterious letter : RUNE - A monument in Sweden written in ancient RUNES
16. Inedible pineapple part : CORE
19. Razor handle? : ATRA
20. Dueling sport : EPEE
21. When Caesar is warned to "Beware the Ides of March" : ACT I
22. Derisive look : SNEER
26. "The Merchant of Venice" heroine : PORTIA - The Bard appears only two clues later with Portia's musing
29. Bavaria-based automaker : AUDI
30. White figure in Snapchat's logo : GHOST - Kids showed me some hilarious Snapchat gimmicks yesterday.
31. Deafening sound : ROAR - Heard by Matthew victims no doubt
34. Include : ADD
36. Santa __ winds : ANA
40. Took control of : LED
42. Like almost all prime numbers : ODD - All but the number 2
44. [see other side] : OVER - Gee, I wonder what it says on the other side?
45. Hal who produced Laurel and Hardy films : ROACH - He briefly formed a company in the 30's with Vittorio Mussolini (RAM for Roach And Mussolini). Yup, it was Il Duce's son seen on the right below with Hal (posing in his father's famous speech making posture).
47. Transition point : CUSP
49. Leave base illegally : GO AWOL
55. Up in the air : ALOFT
56. Remove from power : OUST
57. Swatch options : HUES
61. Shop class tool : VISE
64. Even once : EVER
65. This, to Picasso : ESTA - Él llamó a ESTA pintura Guernica (He called this painting Guernica)
66. Poet Ginsberg : ALLEN
67. Bold lipstick choices : REDS
68. ''Ouch!'' : YEOW
69. Water holder : GLASS
Down
1. Shock into submission : TASE
2. "My turn!" : I'M UP - Be prepared for drama as a sub if every kindergartner doesn't get a turn
3. ''A __ formality'' : MERE
4. Takes over, like bedbugs : INFESTS - Travel with a blacklight (UV lamp) and here's what you might see on your bed at the hotel
5. Banned bug killer : DDT
6. __-Roman wrestling : GRECO - You are forbidden to attack the legs
7. Total, as a bill : RUN TO - It now 13. Closes in on : NEARS $20T. Is what our National Debt RUNS TO even important any more?
9. Very recently painted : WET
10. Song before some face-offs : O CANADA - What a beautiful anthem!
11. Legislation affecting polling places : VOTER ID LAW
12. Flubbed a play : ERRED
18. "How funny!" : HA HA - Sarcasm?
22. Paltry amount : SOU
24. __ Field: home of Mr. Met : CITI
25. Stock holder : BARN
26. Vardon Trophy org. : PGA
27. "This is horrible!" : OH NO - A famous purveyor of that mantra!
28. Sign that may cause U-turns : ROAD CLOSED - No matter the circumstances some idiot will ignore this sign, try to drive through it and have to be rescued
31. Amp (up) : REV
32. Lead source : ORE
33. Hang on a line : AIR
35. Artistic style of Chicago's Merchandise Mart : DECO
38. Lola's nightclub : COPA - "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl..."
39. McDonald’s founder Ray : KROC - The original McDonalds built in San Bernardino, CA by Dick and Mac McDonald from whom Ray bought the business
41. FedEx rival : DHL
43. Golfers rarely making pars : DUFFERS
46. New York golf course that is a frequent host of major tournaments : OAK HILL
48. Army NCO : SGT
49. Courage : GUTS
50. Be on the fence : WAVER
51. Cooking oil source : OLIVE - Fresh from the tree, OLIVES are VERY bitter. A grower told me that kids hired to pick them soon learn that fact after eating one.
52. Cacophony : NOISE
53. Great energy : GUSTO
54. "Hogwash!" : PSHAW
58. Sch. with the mascot Joe Bruin : UCLA - Huskers beat 'em last year in Levi stadium that hosted Super Bowl 50 a month later (Did you notice my screen name?)
59. __ by: barely manages : EKES
60. Figs. with two hyphens : SSNS
62. Tina who is the youngest Mark Twain Prize winner : FEY - Some critics invoked Twain's sentiments below about her selection
63. Price indicator : TAG - Not so much these days with UPC's
Now that you have iced this puzzle, we look forward to your input:
The Grid
